No one is talking about the two-horse title race. We all know where that’s heading — to a fitting climax in May, when Saracens and Exeter lock horns in the Gallagher Premiership final.

The table doesn’t lie, those two clubs are in a class of their own. Saracens must be favourites to win the league again and only the Chiefs — at their very best — are capable of stopping Mark McCall’s men.

Wasps and Gloucester and Harlequins are jostling for play-off places but any English team going to Allianz Park or Sandy Park for a knockout fixture will surely lose.

Dave Walder's Newcastle Falcons currently sit at the bottom of the Gallagher Premiership

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So the intrigue is elsewhere. All the talk is about the battle against relegation. That is the area where the Premiership is providing compelling competition and drama, tension and fascination.

The tight grouping of teams from sixth place down to 12th must be unprecedented. Normally, by now, one or two sides are adrift at the bottom, providing a comforting cushion for the rest. Not this time. There is no comfort for anyone.

Bristol came up from the Championship but with such wealth and multi-national playing talent that they had no intention of engaging in a mere fight for survival. Pat Lam’s elevated ambitions have proved justified.

Worcester were seen as perhaps the most vulnerable of the established clubs but under Alan Solomons they have revived and thrived. The Warriors have already shown that they have sufficient quality to steer clear of trouble.

Newcastle reached the play-offs last season but are now bottom of the table at this stage while managing to hold their own in a heavyweight European pool.

That sums up the calibre of the Premiership. And it also means that traditional powerhouse clubs are being sucked into the relegation equation — namely Bath, Leicester and Northampton.

It all comes against a backdrop of on-going debate about ring-fencing the top division. Here’s some free advice: don’t even think about it. The survival factor will make this a classic campaign. Officials must not tamper with a superb product, due to self-interest.

The integrity of the league has to be protected and preserved. The promotion and relegation model not only galvanises public interest in the whole competition, it safeguards the core principles of ambition and honesty and sporting fairness.

Relegation is not an Armageddon scenario. Clubs who go down often come back in better shape. But the threat of relegation is a positive influence on the Premiership, especially this season. Leave it alone and savour the unfolding drama.

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Johnny Sexton is a worthy winner of the World Rugby Player of the Year award. No question, the prize is richly deserved. But the positional bias goes on.

That is now four years in a row that the top individual honour has been presented to a fly-half: Dan Carter, Beauden Barrett — twice — and now Sexton. In 18 years, no prop has even been shortlisted.

Tadhg Furlong should have been this year, for instance. Ireland’s stifling of Barrett last month was a stark reminder that even the finest No 10s cannot function properly while under siege. Let’s spread the recognition around.

Johnny Sexton poses with his trophy after winning the World Rugby Player of the Year award

Mauling of the Tigers shows it's time to act

Leicester have endured plenty of upheaval in recent years and there is surely more to come. The 41-10 savaging at Bristol on Saturday was the latest sign of serious trouble.

Head coach Geordan Murphy rightly called the performance ‘embarrassing’. The immediate priority must be to hire a pedigree defence coach, to stop the East Midlands club leaking so many tries, but the issues run deeper than that.

There are valid questions being asked by supporters about the board. The sight of Bristol hooker Harry Thacker haunting his home-town club with two tries served to highlight flawed decision-making with regard to player recruitment and retention.

Leicester’s structure and chain of command appears in urgent need of an overhaul. It is futile repeating this point as he has no interest, but what the Tigers need is Martin Johnson.

Harry Thacker of Bristol Bears dives over for his sides second try against Leicester Tigers

Gustard cuts the mustard now

At the end of England’s autumn campaign, Eddie Jones aimed a tongue-in-cheek jibe at his former defence coach, Paul Gustard, saying: ‘Guzzie went to Harlequins and he maybe wishes he hadn’t gone now. I saw their win-loss record. I’m sure he’ll bounce back!’

Well, on Friday night he and his team did bounce back — emphatically. They had the transformed look of title-challengers in dispatching Exeter. The visitors rested several leading men but Quins were aggressive and energetic, bright and clinical. Their defence had Gustard’s fingerprints all over it.

Inspiration came from familiar and fresh faces. At full back, Mike Brown played like a man who simply will not give up on his World Cup dream.

And Alex Dombrandt is quite some find. The rookie flanker is not long out of university but if he keeps playing like this, he will soon be viewed as a Test candidate, in a position where England have lots of options but no dominant figure.

Paul Gustard's Harlequins had the transformed look of title-challengers in dispatching Exeter

The last word

Novembers will never be the same. Test rugby within that window is due to change but such has been the level of bickering on the subject there is no clarity yet about what the new global season model will look like.

World Rugby have appointed a committee to explore options but they are not due to make any firm decisions until May.

New Zealand’s recent matches against England and Ireland showed the enduring value of prestige, one-off Tests but other rivalries have become mundane. Scarcity is crucial. The revised international calendar should allow for a four-week autumn window but with each leading nation only permitted to play two matches against Tier 1 visitors, to ensure greater exposure for the Tier 2 sides.

Players should be limited to three Tests in November and revenue share must be on the agenda. Wealth — and fixtures — need to be more evenly shared, to make the game viable and sustainable.